We should be saving the species that we have before they go extinct.”
There are people who think that because you can do something you should, but I’m not sure what purpose it serves, and whether this is really the best allocation of resources. I’ve no idea whether the mechanics of this will work as they claim, but the question is not just can you do this but should you do it. He explained it to the outlet, “There is no doubt this is an iconic bird. Prof Ewan Birney, deputy director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, who was not associated with Colossal’s study, told The Guardian that recreating the dodo genome would be “very very challenging” on a technical level.
Thus, it would be noteworthy if Colossal manages to be successful in its plan to revive the dodo bird as no one has yet managed to use gene editing for birds in a similar manner. In practice, it may take several pregnancies to produce viable children using this procedure. The report explains that in the case of mammals, the approach entails inserting gene-editing material into the reproductive system of an existing relative, such as an elephant. In comparison to gene-editing with mammalian species, it would be “less stressful” with egg-laying bird, according to The Guardian. Shapiro stated that “it’s not conceivable to rebuild a 100% identical replica of something that’s gone” since animals are a result of both their DNA and their environment, which has changed considerably since the 1600s, as per AP. The team may then try to alter Nicobar pigeon cells to look like dodo cells.Īccording to Shapiro, it may be possible to insert the modified cells into developing eggs of other birds, like pigeons or chickens, to produce offspring that will naturally produce dodo eggs.įor dodos, the concept is still in its initial conceptual phases. Her team plans to study DNA differences between the Nicobar pigeon and the dodo to understand what the genes that distinguish the dodo are. The dodo, on the other hand, would be its first bird, which is noteworthy because it would need altering the gene editing approach to fit an external egg.Īccording to The Guardian, scientists can now examine the dodo bird’s DNA for crucial features that they believe they may later effectively rebuild within the body of a living relative.īeth Shapiro, lead palaeogeneticist at Colossal told AP that the dodo’s closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon. Notably, Colossal has already begun initiatives to resurrect the woolly mammoth and thylacine. It’s also working on technologies for what is sometimes called an “artificial womb,” he explained. “The prospect of bringing the dodo back isn’t expected to directly make money, but the genetic tools and equipment that the company develops to try to do it may have other uses, including for human health care,” he said.įor example, Colossal is now testing tools to tweak several parts of the genome simultaneously. AFPĪlso read: Scientists list iconic orange-and-black monarch butterflies as endangered The skeleton of a dodo, an extinct bird, in the Evolution’s great gallery of the Museum of Natural History in Paris.
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